University of Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish Battalion

Volume 7, Issue III April 2007

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Pass in Review: Capstone of the Year

Pass in Review 1

CFTX 2

NDFTX 2

Paintball 3

Rock Wall 3

Rifle Team 4

Holy Half Marathon 4

Army Ball 5

Battalion Run 6

Muddy Sunday 6

The Fightin’ Irish Battalion stands at attention after the annual Pass in Re-view held 18 April 2007 at JACC

Cadet DeMoss leads his company at the Pass in Review

On 18 April 2007, the three Notre Dame ROTC units partici-pated in the annual Pass in Review. The Pass in review was originally used as a way for generals could inspect their troops before going off into battle. At Notre Dame, the Pass in Review is used to showcase the accomplishments of the units and individuals throughout the year. The reviewers are Father John Jen-kins, CSC, the president of Notre Dame, and the tri-mil commander, Captain Michael Neller, USN. This year, the Pass in re-view was held at the JACC. The ceremony started at 1730 with the Navy Band playing patriotic marches. All the units wear their dress uniforms, looking sharp for friends and family members in the audience. The Fightin’ Irish

Battalion was led by c/Maj Gabriel Samudio since c/LTC Moran was at the Mar-shall Conference in Washington DC. Cadets Kamykowski, Moran, Henebery, and Ryan Larson received leadership awards during the course of the ceremony. Navy won the coveted Commander’s Cup trophy. After a speech from Father Jenkins, commending the cadets and midship-men for an outstanding year and the service that they will give to their country,

the cadets and midship-men conducted the pa-rade. This year, com-manders used sabers to guide their troops. Every-one did an excellent job displaying the discipline and attention to detail needed to conduct a mili-tary. Tri-mil commanders as well as audience mem-bers were pleased and impressed by the Univer-sity of Notre Dame cadets and midshipmen.

Get in Shape 8

Fun Page/Pics 9

Advise 10

Where they are going 11

LTC Jordan farewell 12

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CFTX

ND FTX by c/Olson

Cadets Janke, Fu, Brown, and Leyva present the colors at CFTX

Cadets Collins, Fitzgerald, Blomstrom, Henebery, and Mike Pearl conduct an AAR after a STX lane at ND FTX

On April 13th and 14th the Army ROTC’s MS1 and MS2 classes gathered for a few days of fun and edu-cational experiences. The MS1’s and 2’s went on a combined FTX to train and to learn. This FTX was centered around the MS2’s getting a chance to be put in leadership positions as well as the MS1’s getting a little more one on one time. Not only were MS2’s put in the positions of squad leaders, but the MS1’s were able to have leadership opportunities like being team leaders and sometimes even squad leaders. The FTX consisted of many events including force on force paintball, patrol base operations, and STX lanes, to name a few. The MS1’s and 2’s were also able to have the opportunity of using paintball guns in all of these activities opposed to rubber ducks, which gave the events more of a real feeling and made certain events more complicated than usual. Also, by having paintball guns instead of rubber ducks, squad leaders and their teams were put in some sticky situations.

If a squad leader were to die, suddenly the team leader is in charge, and in many cases the team leaders were MS1’s. This FTX not only provided good experiences but it also gave the MS1 and 2 classes a chance to get to know each other and a chance to see how one another are able to handle themselves in the field. Over all the FTX was a success, and the MS1 and 2 classes were able to come out of the weekend with new positive experiences.

The PCI, the ride to Ft. Custer, the snide remarks from SFC Gibbs all were familiar, but the experience for the MSIII class was anything but ordinary. The MSIII class went on a CFTX, which is short for combined FTX, from March 30 to April 1. It included cadets from WMU, EMU, CMU, MSU and UM. Before our departure, LTC Jordan set the bar high and told us that the other schools are striving to outperform Notre Dame. But the training, the confidence, and the will were already deeply seated in the MSIII class. No extra motivation was necessary; excellence was ours to loose. Since our MSIII class is small, we were able to separate Notre Dame cadets from each other. We were all in squads without any familiar faces. The situation forced us to learn how to work with different personalities, interact with unfamiliar people, and build a team from the ground up. We interacted with our squad in our barracks and set up SOPs, but the real test came the next day with the squad STX lanes. Understanding different “techniques,” leading your peers, gaining respect, and succeeding on your lane all were interconnected challenges. Although the lanes varied little from the battle drills in FM 7-8, working with new people presented additional challenges for each lane. Among the difficulties with working with new people, were learning opportunities. We were able to learn new techniques and benefited from participating seven more STX lanes. (Continued on page 5).

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Ms I verse MS II Paintball by c/Howard

MS II’s try to show their dominance in paintball

MS I’s think that they are the better class

For the week of March 26 lab, the freshman and sophomore classes took part in their annual paintball battle. Officially the cadre maintains that the paintball lab is a retention and recruiting event, but it is common knowledge that the real purpose is to separate the strong from the weak, as well as an opportunity for each class to obtain bragging rights over the other. The MSI class utilized its human wave strategy to take advantage of its vastly superior numbers. Their numbers were further bolstered by the addition of a few prospec-tive recruits, as well as the crack mercenary force of MSG Wood’s sons, who eventually switched sides for better pay. “Advisors” were also sent to each side from the MSIV class to aid in the conflict. Fearless Tahnee

was also present for the MSIs, who tallied her highest life achievement to date by scoring a kill on the elu-sive c/Gen Howard. The MSIIs were forced to rely on their supe-rior training and intelligence to combat the horde they faced that day. Military historians are already liken-ing the battle to the 1993 conflict in Somalia, and a book is already in the works, to be titled MSII Down. Many heroic feats were recorded by these fearless cadets, too numerous to mention. In their final Alamo-like struggle in the fortress (the second year in a row they have been stuck there) the barbarian horde could not weaken their defenses enough to grab the flag, with the MSIIs winning the battle.

Overall the lab was another success, with most agreeing that it was the most enjoyable lab of the year. The MSI and MSII classes were able to put their differences aside after the conflict and were seen trading stories during the van ride home. Hopefully in future years we can continue this tradition in order to increase awareness about Army ROTC, keep morale high, and flaunt the superiority of the Class of 2009.

Rock Climbing by c/Frechette

MS II Courtney Collins scales the rock

“Rappelling was so fun!” This quote by Justin Figueredo really summed up exactly how the MSI & MSII classes felt when we took on the rock wall and the Knute Rockne Athletic Center. For those who participated in rappelling at the beginning of the year during FROSH-O, rappelling on a rock wall was far different than rappel-ling off of the fire department building. “I liked the fire building better,” Matt McGeehan said. “The rock wall was fun but I felt that it did not give us the super HOOAH training that would be applica-ble for such Army experiences as Air Assault.” The focus of the rock wall was the process and personal courage getting up a studded wall rather than the thrill of coming down a flat building exterior. Regardless, it was a great bonding experience for the MSI & IIs. It allowed for all of us to come together and have fun, while applying prior rappelling experiences from FROSH-O. As in the words of Scott Vitter and Jim Pearl (in unison followed by a high five), “I love rappelling!”

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Rifle Team by c/Iacovo

Holy Half Marathon by c/Vitter

On Sunday, March 25, over 300 runners ran a tough 13.1 miles to complete the Holy Half Marathon. The Holy Half course consisted of two loops that wound through Notre Dame’s campus and around the lakes. In only its third year, proceeds from the Holy Half Marathon benefited those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Spe-cifically, the funds were directed to Operation Helping Hands, an active Catholic charity. Conditions during the race were perfect; all participants enjoyed the bright sunlight complemented by a slight breeze. Though a fun experience, it was particu-larly daunting to finish the first 6.5 mile loop, only to realize that there was another yet to come. Overall, the race ran smoothly, although a few runners required medi-cal attention at the finish line.

A fast pace for the race was established at the onset by a group of gifted runners. In the end, graduate student Dan McGrath finished first in 1:11:03 (5:25 min/mile). Army ROTC runners also fared very well: Scott Vitter finished No. 41 with a time of 1:36:31 (7:22 min/mile), Jim Devereaux finished No. 69 with a time of 1:40:43 (7:41 min/mile), and Elaine Kamykowski finished in 1:58:59 (9:05 min/mile).

The run gave me a new appreciation for the endurance training undertaken by marathon and Iron Man participants. Personally, I benefited by running with a partner for most of the 13.1 miles. Were it not for the company and the scattered fans lining the course, the race would have been monotonous bordering on unbearable. For many, monotony or boredom discourages regular physical activity. Running in the Holy Half Marathon taught me a lot about the mental discipline that must accom-pany physical fitness in elite endurance athletes. I strongly encourage more cadets to participate in the race next year. By doing so, they will improve themselves and help

RACE TO RE-BUILD

NEW ORLEANS

Cadets Saurer, Iacovo, and Garcia shoot at the Rifle Competition

On March 3, 2007 five members from the Fighting Irish Battalion Rifle Team along with MSG Wood made the two hour trek down to Purdue to compete in its first competi-tion in several years. The site was the Boiler Battalion’s indoor range and members from the Purdue cadre assisted with scoring in order to make sure everything ran smoothly. The competition was divided into three parts. Shooters had 20 minutes to shoot 20 shots from the prone position, 40 minutes to shoot 20 shots from the standing position, and 30 minutes to shoot 20 shots from the kneeling position. All things considered cadets Saurer, Garcia, Janke, Blomstrom, and I made a pretty good showing. While Pur-due won the overall competition, we were able to take the victory in the standing portion of the event with cadet Saurer posting the highest individual score in this event out of the 12 shooters from both schools.

Saurer also finished in third overall, a day after showing his skills with the MSIII’s at Fort Custer, while I came in sixth and Garcia, Blomstrom, and Janke were not far behind. Consider the fact that Purdue has an indoor range on campus that they shoot at once a week at least and you can see that the Rifle Team has some natural born shooters. After the event the Purdue cadre provided all the shooters with some pizza and pop and all the cadets mingled with each other and talked about life in ROTC and our plans for our future careers as leaders in the U.S. Army. The experience was a learning one for all those involved. Both teams shared tips on how to be better shooters – some-thing that will be nice to know come time for LDAC and of course after commissioning. Since none of our mem-bers had shot in a competition before the experience gained will be very valuable for our competitions that we have planned for next year. (Continued on page 5)

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Army Ball by c/Figueredo

C/Palm and her date walk through the saber arch at Army Ball

On 23Feb07 in the Monogram Ballroom of the Joyce Athletic Convocation Center, I was privileged to take part in one of the many traditions the Army has. While dinning-in, I quickly learned Army etiquette and proper table manners thanks to the help of my splendid date, c/CSM Piscal. During the elegant evening of fine dining and light conversation, I was awed by the exqui-site uniforms of the cadre and other visiting soldiers. Major Hennessey was the guest speaker for the evening. MAJ Hennessey delivered an excellent speech, as did LTC Jordan. Also in attendance was the first graduate of AROTC from Saint Mar’s College with her husband. After dinner, dessert, and speeches, I was hon-ored to watch inductions into the most revered group our program has. The Military Order of the Holy Cross in-augurated two Knights 3rd Class, c/Garcia and c/Mcgeehan, and on dame 3rd class, c/Frechette M into

their prestigious family. Cadets Hicks, Piscal, and Saurer were promoted from 3rd to 2nd Class and cadets Ka-mykowski, O’Brien, and Henebery were promoted from 2nd to 1st Class. Most unexpected, c/Bassett bypassed the 3rd and 2nd Classes and was inducted as a Knight 1st Class, a feat unknown to many. Also, I witnessed an event that will forever go down in the history of the Military Order of the Holy Cross. c/Moran, who had upped the ranks from 3rd through 1st Class, was ordained a Knight Commander, only preceded by Sean Pearl in 2006. From all of us so desperately desiring to be part of such a group displaying all of the Army values, I congratulate each and every one of you. You all represent our battalion and your Order with a great sense of pride and leadership. The night ended with dancing and socializing, starting with the first dance between LTC Jordan and his wife. Shortly after, followed the much anticipated dance-off between c/Devereaux and c/Piscal and Co. comprised of c/Frechette M and Midshipman Lynda Pearl in which c/Devereaux single-handedly took home all of the glory. Thanks to all of you, I was able to experience a night of fun while learning Army traditions and etiquette. Although I will attend two more Army Balls in the future, it will take a lot to surpass my amazing experience at this years’ dinning-in.

Rifle Team (continued from p. 4) The Rifle Team hasn’t closed up shop for the year yet. We’re still planning an intra-squad competition at the F.O.P. range so that all of our members have a chance to test their skills against each other. We would love to have more members so if you have any interest just let me, Garcia, or Saurer know and we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Spending a Saturday afternoon with rifles, Kevin Garcia, and of course MSG Wood, what could be better then that?

CFTX (continued from p. 2) After the lanes, land navigation, garrison posi-tions, and a regimental deactivation ceremony, which included c/Hayden Piscal as Regimental CO and c/Phil Hicks as Regimental CSM, we were all ready to go home. Brimming with war stories of ridiculous tech-niques or getting lost on land nav, we packed up and headed home. With the last FTX prior to LDAC under our belts, we are going out to Washington with confi-dence and competence necessary to excel.

Cadets Samudio, White, and Pearl eat dinner while attending to staff duties.

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Battalion Run/Unit Olympics

Muddy Sunday

Bravo Company, led by c/Palm, on the Battalion Run

On 24 April 2007, the Fightin’ Irish Bat-talion conducted its final PT session of the year. According to c/LTC Moran, it was the finest morning we have had all year to have PT, and it is the last PT session the MS IV’s will have as a member of the Fightin’ Irish Battalion. The PT session began with a light battalion run, a way to build esprit de corps. Each company belted out cadences and proudly displayed their guide-ons as the battalion went around the eastern edge of campus. Following the battalion run, each squad participated in a five by 400 race. Next, everyone divided into four groups and tried to be the last cadet standing to earn points for their respective platoon. The events were push-ups, leg lifts, flut-ter kicks, and jump rope. Everyone pushed them-selves physically in order to reach the final four. After the results had been calculated, the winner was B2 led by c/Saurer. He received the pink cammo ribbon of excellence and raised the ceremonial unit Olympic torch in celebration. A1, winner of the Dixon Challenge Competition held last semester, replied that win-ning the Dixon Challenge still meant it was the best platoon. A1 and B2 will have to wait until next year to prove

c/Piscal and Laura Frechette exit St, Mary’s Lake after cleaning off some of the mud from mud volleyball. In the background are

On 22 April 2007, a gorgeous Spring day, two Army ROTC teams participated in the annual Muddy Sunday sponsored by Keenan Hall. The event is a mud volleyball tournament held on Holy Cross Hill, which is between the two lakes. This year, ninety-three teams of eight to twelve people competed in the tourna-ment. All the proceeds, about $8000, went to Habitat for Humanity. Team Army ROTC, captained by c/Walerko, had cadets Blomstrom, McGeehan, Hull, Bassett, Gallagan, Teske, Kamykowski, Rodriguez, and Macmillan. c/Gallagan led the team with his amazing spikes . Team Army ROTC won the first game, but then lost the next two. The other team, led by c/Samudio, ap-propriately titled Friends of Gabe had cadets Adams, Piscal, Laura Frechette, Meg Frechette, and Henebery. They advanced to the second

round. Cadet Mauro cheered the Army teams on from the concession stand, where he sold pizza and t-shirts to the competitors. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful spring day, rolling around in the mud, the occasional mud fights, the music, and just having a good time with friends.

Investments/Insurance: Not FDIC Insured • May Lose Value • Not Bank Guaranteed Use of the term “member” does not convey any legal, eligibility, or ownership rights. To remain elgible, military personnel must purchase property and casualty insurance underwritten by USAA by December 31st of the year following the year they leave active or active reserve military service. Elgibility restrictions apply to purchase of property and casualty insurance. USAA means United Services Automobile Association, USAA Casualty Insurance Company, USAA General Indemnity Company, Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company, USAA County Mutal Insurance Company, USAA Investment Management Company, USAA Life Insurance Company, USAA Life Insurance Company of New York (Highland Falls, NY), USAA Financial Planning Services Insurance Agency, Inc. (known as USAA Financial Insurance Agency in California), USAA Financial Advisors, Inc., and USAA Federal Savings Bank (equal housing lender) and USAA Savings Bank. Both banks FDIC insured. Property and casualty insurance products are subject to elgibility requirements. If your credity card account becomes past due, the Introductory 0% APR will end early and the Delinquincy APRs will apply. © USAA 2006. All rights reserved. 1635:14485

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Page 8 The Shamrock

Get in Shape!

So you are an MSIII preparing for camp, a MS IV about to enter a unit, or an underclass cadet ready to enter lead-ership roles in the battalion. The fastest way to make a good impression is to do well on your PT test. The follow-ing is a guide to improve your scores, so you can max your next PT test and be a PT stud. To maintain and im-prove your scores, you have to workout at least five times a week. This is a suggestion to gain a few extra push-ups, sit-ups, or a few seconds off your run time.

# of PU 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

PU 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Close hand

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Wide arm

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Turn + bounce

5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

# of SU 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

Sit-ups 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

crunches 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Flutter kick

5 6 7 7 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Leg spreader

5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Run time 12+ 13+ 14+ 15+ 16+ 17+ 18+ 19+

1 mile 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00

2 mile 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30

220 yd sprint

1:07 1:15 1:23 1:30 1:38 1:46 1:54 2:02

440 yd sprint

2:45 3:00 3:15 3:30 3:45 4:00 4:15 4:30

Okay, this looks like a bunch of confusing numbers. Let me explain how to work this to your advantage. Say you usually do 65 pushups, 70 sit-ups, and run a 14:15 min 2 mile. Follow the number for how many pushups you cur-rently do. For one set then, you will do 26 pushups, 13 close hand, 13 wide-arm, and 22 turn and bounce. Take a minute break, and then repeat the set two more times. Next do sit-ups. One set will be 28 sit-ups, 13 crunches, 24 4count flutter kicks, and 24 4count leg spreaders. Take a minute break, and then do two more sets. After doing this workout three or four times, increase the each number by three. For example, you started with 26 pushups, now you will do 29 pushups. Try to do this program every other day. On off days, you can mix it up with differ-ent types of exercises, swims, or lifting. For running, you run a 14:15, so you will start in the 14+ box. On day 1, you will try to run 1 mile in 6:30 and then finish with a 20-30 minute run. On day 2, you will do the sprint workout 3 to 5 times and then go for a 20-30 minute run. You will continue this pattern until you meet the goal of the 1 mile run. You will then move up to the 2 mile run with alternate sprint workout. When you accomplish the goal of the 2 mile workout, move a col-umn to the left and increase the difficulty. Start over again with trying to run the 1 mile time of the harder column. The beauty and challenging part of this workout is that it is all on you. You have to be motivated to com-plete the workout and follow the guidelines. If you do follow this, I guarantee you will improve on your APFT.

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Word Find

r m e d i c a l a t

a l n n t l v a e y

p a e u b n i d m k

u s h e r m a n r t

h i n f a n t r y p

s t n a e o i t g e

u u e r m t o f l h

p p g m n t n p c d

l t o o c a a a t u

e c a r c p a o v f

Find the amount of words in each category: Generals (4) Common abrv. (3) Pt test (3) Branches (4) Part of Dixon Challenge (2)

Sudoku (medium) 2 3 1 9

6 2 3 4 1

5 7 6 8

8 2 4 5

5 6 2

3 6 9 8

1 4 7 5

6 4 5 8 2

5 3 8 1

C/Howard fight in Bengal Bouts c/ White, Frechette, Piscal, and Obrien at c/Larson and Donnelly at Army Ball

Ms I and II’s eating dinner at ND FTX c/Iacovo and Garcia show off their guns

C/Mooney runs through the woods on a STX lane

c/Devereux sad about a paintball shot

c/Figuerdo and Blomstrom enjoy dinner STX Lanes

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Advice to MS III’s (10 keys to camp)

Advice to All Cadets (20 little things for everyday college/ROTC life)

1. Gather as much information as you can about the Army, whether it be technical data on weapons systems and vehicles, unit and Army history, or from the field manuals. Make each day a new effort to learn some new facts about the military, because you never know when knowing or not knowing seemingly useless things can give you instant credibility amongst your peers. Knowledge impacts many other domains of leadership: Conceptual, Mental, Planning, Interpersonal, Technical, et&. A knowledgeable leader is at a great advantage compared to his peers, because knowledge is intertwined with effective leadership. 2.Confidence, even if you are wrong, don't second guess your self. Make a decision and stick with it. Run what you think will work and if it doesn't, this is why we have training, to make mistakes and learn. You are not subject matter experts on infantry tactics so you are going to make mistakes sometimes. Don't worry about. Be strong, and confident in yourself. Know you can do it, and you will achieve success. 3.Pay attention when your platoon TAC, your platoon NCO, any class instructor, or any other member of the LDAC staff is addressing you. They are there not only to evaluate you, but to teach you. LDAC is not just about the E, but about a learning environment. If you listen, they can teach you great things. 4.And if I could offer you only one tip for LDAC, sunscreen would be IT. 5. Have Fun, not all days are going to be great, but it's important to make the best out of them. 6. When you are placed in non-evaluated leadership positions, take it as a compliment, it means the cadre trust you. These are opportunities that will reflect in your overall evaluation. It's a good thing 7. Reread 7-8 so the Drills are fresh in your mind. You will see CDT who have not refreshed and they are not ready. 8. PT, PT, PT, nothing will set you up for success better than getting 270 or better on your PT test. 9. Be a team player. Volunteer for the cruddy fire guards and details no one wants to do. 10. Bring an unopened bottle of vitamins (Flintstones, one-a day) and an unopened bottle of pain reliever (Tylenol, Advil). You will definitely need these thing and they don’t let you keep it if it has already been opened.

1.Use post it notes 2.Take Naps 3.Take walks around the lakes 4.Read Harry Potter 5.Try not to worry too much about life and the fu-ture...everything pretty much turns out how it is supposed to 6. Take eve-rything in ROTC with a grain of salt 7. We spend a lot of our time doing things for ROTC, why not try and make it a positive experience-you're only making yourself more miserable by not even trying to enjoy it 8.Talk to MSG Wood...he's kind of a funny person 9.Do anything you can to study abroad 10. When you want to buy something (whether it is a Kevlar or a WoW Collector’s Edition T-Shirt) it is imperative to shop ebay.com first. 11. When traveling, stay in a hostel 12. Don’t worry, be happy 13. Organization is key. Keeping a busy schedule helps with that. 14. Know your limits, but work hard to meet your potential. 15. Have fun because college is short. 16.Don't Stress Out. Try to Relax and have fun as much as possible. 17. You're only in College once so go out and do the things you've always wanted to do while you can. 18. Travel everywhere if you can. But be responsible. You never want to look back on a time in your life and think that you could have done something better and regret it. Keeping everything balanced is key. 19.Go to at least one bowl game while you are here 20.Meet deadlines. It will make your job easier and other people’s lives less chaotic. Cadets Walerko and Brown at

CFTX

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Good-bye MS IV’s

Send Me a Letter Send a letter to the MS III’s, giving them words of encouragement, advise, or just a few words saying hello. Write To: Cadet FULL NAME ROTC WARRIOR FORGE __Regiment __Company _ Platoon (you do not need co/pl info to send letter) Box 339543 Fort Lewis, WA 98433-9543 MS III Regiment Dates

Patrick Brown 11th regiment July 9-August 11

Russell Fu 7th regiment June 25-July 27

Benjamin Harm 1st regiment June 5-July 7

Steven Harvey 13th regiment July 15– August 16

Phillip Hicks 11th regiment July 9-August 11

Guy Hippleheuser 4th regiment June 14-July 16

Joseph Janke 6th regiment June 22-July24

Stephanie Leyva 12th regiment July 12-August 14

Cat Macmillan 5th regiment June 19-July 21

Ted Martin 12th regiment July 12– August 14

Hayden Piscal 10th regiment July 6 –August 8

Mark Sauer 12th regiment July 12-August 14

Meagan Walerko 7th regiment June 25-July 27

MS IV Branch Post Unit Ryan Adams Infantry Vilseck, Germany John Barry MP Reserves 428th MPCo South Bend, IN Gregory Bassett Armor Ft. Hood, TX 1st Armored Brigade, 4th ID Peter Demoss ADA Ft. Hood, TX 4th BN 5th ADA Regt Matthew Donnelly MI Indiana Nat. Guard 76th BCT Laura Frechette MI Texas Nat. Guard Austin Benjamin Harm LDAC Steven Harvey LDAC Daniel Henebery Infantry Ft. Lewis, WA 2nd ID Michele Johnson Engineer Ft. Shafter, HI 25th ID Elaine Kamykowski Medical Bethesda, MD Uniformed Services University Ashley Larson MI Kansas Nat. Guard Topeka Ryan Larson Medical Ft. Richardson, AK 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Philip Mauro Armour Vilseck, Germany 2nd Armored Cav Regt Liam Moran Aviation Ft. Rucker, AL Tara O'Brien JAG ED DELAY Roger Williams University Kerstin Palm Quartermaster Ft.Carson, CO 2nd ID Christine Pearl Chemical Ft. Bragg, NC 82nd Airborne Gabriel Samudio Infantry Ft. Hood, TX 1st Cav Kristopher Schmautz Aviation Indiana Nat. Guard G Co. 238th Bat. Charles Schnake Ordnance Ft. Campbell, KY 3rd Bridade, 101st Airborne W. Peryn White Ordnance Ft. Stewart, GA 1st Brigade, 3rd ID

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LTC Jordan Bids Farewell

As I write my final column for the Shamrock, I find it hard to believe that my time as “Irish 6” is coming to an end, and so I will take this time to reflect on what has transpired since I arrived in June 2003. I was sent here to help revive a sagging program, I was told that I would likely face the greatest leadership challenge of my career, and I heard very few favorable comments regarding the program as I prepared to assume command. All of these aspects turned out to be accurate, but what I was not prepared for was the superb quality of the cadets and cadre and the unparalleled opportunity to not only save a program in trouble but to transform it into one of the best pro-grams in the country. After my first summer here at Notre Dame, I was convinced that many had underestimated this organization, and I set about doing what I could to help the program “Return to Glory.”

If I was to be successful, I would have to ground my actions in sound doctrine. As I had done so many times in the past, I turned to the Army’s existing doctrine for guidance, and I was truly impressed with what I found and how helpful it was and would continue to be.

I began with using the Army’s definition of leadership – influencing others – by providing purpose, direc-tion, and motivation – while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization – as my start point. Over the past four years, we have been able to more than satisfy this definition together. The process of transformation began with conducting a thorough assessment of the organization, which culminated with the writ-ing of a mission statement that focused on educating, training, developing, and inspiring participants in the pro-gram to become leaders of character for the Army and the nation. This mission statement indicated that the pro-gram would have to adopt an intent-based focus that empowered cadets and cadre alike. Empowered cadets in leadership positions, especially MS IVs, began to make a difference in the battalion’s training, especially for the MS IIIs. As a result of this empowered and intent-based focus, and using methods and ideas already in place, syn-ergy took over, and in one short year we were able to transform the battalion from one that resided in the bottom 20 percent of the nation to one that has become a national leader and which is a perennial top 15 percent program.

After making these changes, we began focusing on our recruiting mission, again empowering cadets and using them as our best assets and most effective recruiters. We added the verb “recruit” to the mission statement, and we have begun the process of transforming our recruiting efforts in the same dramatic fashion as we did for our training efforts. We as a program are poised to commission this year the highest number of officers in over a decade, which is the best possible demonstration of our success in this area.

I am extremely proud of what the program has been able to accomplish over the past four years, and you should be as well, since it could not have occurred with your efforts. It has been the most rewarding assignment of my career, and I thank everyone who has been involved with the battalion during my time here for their advice, counsel, support, hard work, and professionalism. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with each and every one of you, and I will cherish this experience forever.

My charge to those who remain is to take ownership of our accomplishments, carry on the work we be-gan, and make the program even better. Continue to influence, operate, and improve this program so that all par-ticipants may learn to “Lead Like Champions.” Our shared legacy will be the sustained success of this program, and while I have enjoyed the successes we have shared, nothing would make me happier than to see the battalion continue to “Keep Up the Fight” and thrive for many more years to come.

LTC Jordan was instrumental in reviving the Army ROTC program at Notre Dame to make it one in the top 15% of the nation. He also helped redesign the patch. The three colors of the background represent the motto of the Fightin’ Irish Battalion, “God, Coun-try, Notre Dame.” The gold at the top represents the Golden Dome of Notre Dame, the host school of the ROTC program. The gold also represents Valporaiso University. The red on the right represents Holy Cross College. The blue on the left represents Saint Mary’s College and Bethel College. The shamrock in an easily recognizable symbol of our battalion. We wear this patch to remember to always “Keep Up the Fight” as both cadets and future officers in the US Army.